1. Strengthening EESC and Cedefop cooperation on vocational education and training
Thanks for the invitation.
Congratulations on election and membership of European Parliament Employment and social affairs committee.
European Economic and Social Committee
Brussels, 7 March 2017
James Calleja, Director, Cedefop 1

3. The technological revolution
‘Handbuilt by robots: cutting edge technology from 1979
This time its different
Telephone: 75 years, 50m users; mobiles: 20 years, 2bn users
All jobs vulnerable: 47% automated away in 20 years
New but less: GAP clothes value $19bn employees; What’s App value $19bn - 55 employees
Demand for higher skills
How do truck drivers become IT specialists?
High quality vocational education and training (VET) relevant to labour market needs is a policy priority for the EU.
Europe’s unemployment level, particularly, among young people worryingly high.
Skills, qualifications and employability are central to Europe’s economic recovery.
But the vocational education and training that delivers the skills, qualifications and employability needed faces growing challenges.
How do we combine a highly educated labour force with adequate job creation?
How do we increase participation in a shrinking and ageing labour force?
How can training help address inequality and develop the green economy?
Cedefop European agency devoted to VET is working on these and other questions 3 3

4. Cedefop supporting the EESC
The EESC work programme up to 2018 recognises:
that technology is changing what we need to learn and how;
the need to capture and develop skills in new ways;
the need to increase the size and improve the quality of the labour force;
and that the green economy does not compromise job growth.
Cedefop’s work programme also addresses these issues and we will continue support the EESC’s work through our information, evidence and analyses.
High quality vocational education and training (VET) relevant to labour market needs is a policy priority for the EU.
Europe’s unemployment level, particularly, among young people worryingly high.
Skills, qualifications and employability are central to Europe’s economic recovery.
But the vocational education and training that delivers the skills, qualifications and employability needed faces growing challenges.
How do we combine a highly educated labour force with adequate job creation?
How do we increase participation in a shrinking and ageing labour force?
How can training help address inequality and develop the green economy?
Cedefop European agency devoted to VET is working on these and other questions 4 4

5. Cedefop: vision and objectives 2017-20
Vision: To strengthen European cooperation in vocational education and training (VET) and support the European Commission, Member States and social partners in designing and implementing policies for a world-class and inclusive VET that provide skills and qualifications relevant for working lives and the labour market
Objectives to:
Provide new knowledge and evidence
Monitor policy trends and provide policy analysis of developments
Act as a knowledge broker for countries and stakeholders
High quality vocational education and training (VET) relevant to labour market needs is a policy priority for the EU.
Europe’s unemployment level, particularly, among young people worryingly high.
Skills, qualifications and employability are central to Europe’s economic recovery.
But the vocational education and training that delivers the skills, qualifications and employability needed faces growing challenges.
How do we combine a highly educated labour force with adequate job creation?
How do we increase participation in a shrinking and ageing labour force?
How can training help address inequality and develop the green economy?
Cedefop European agency devoted to VET is working on these and other questions 5 5

6. Cedefop: strategic areas of cooperation 2017-20
Shaping VET
Renewing and modernising VET systems and institutions; developing and using European tools and principles to promote lifelong learning.
Valuing VET
Developing and implementing VET policies and programmes to help citizens acquire the skills they need.
Informing VET
Designing VET and employment policies to ensure a qualified workforce that is continuously and effectively skilled; promoting jobs that value, develop and make the use of people’s skills
High quality vocational education and training (VET) relevant to labour market needs is a policy priority for the EU.
Europe’s unemployment level, particularly, among young people worryingly high.
Skills, qualifications and employability are central to Europe’s economic recovery.
But the vocational education and training that delivers the skills, qualifications and employability needed faces growing challenges.
How do we combine a highly educated labour force with adequate job creation?
How do we increase participation in a shrinking and ageing labour force?
How can training help address inequality and develop the green economy?
Cedefop European agency devoted to VET is working on these and other questions 6 6

7. Changing VET’s image and nature for the 21st Century
86% believe VET provides the skills employers’ needs, but only 61% believe it leads to well paid jobs; while 70% believe VET is for manual work.
Cedefop opinion survey on VET, 2017
European policy-makers must encourage dialogue between education and training and labour market stakeholders to create incentives and institutional frameworks for European VET policy priorities and tools, such as validating and recognising non-formal and informal learning.
Why?
High quality vocational education and training (VET) relevant to labour market needs is a policy priority for the EU.
Europe’s unemployment level, particularly, among young people worryingly high.
Skills, qualifications and employability are central to Europe’s economic recovery.
But the vocational education and training that delivers the skills, qualifications and employability needed faces growing challenges.
How do we combine a highly educated labour force with adequate job creation?
How do we increase participation in a shrinking and ageing labour force?
How can training help address inequality and develop the green economy?
Cedefop European agency devoted to VET is working on these and other questions 7 7

9. Human, not artificial intelligence is the future
Progress has seen technology become more personal, intimate and interactive; from mainframes to PCs to the Internet of things
Growing intimacy is changing how companies operate and the skills people need to work and live
Our motivation must be to ensure VET provides people with opportunities for better and fulfilling lives and enterprises with the potential to grow and create quality jobs
High quality vocational education and training (VET) relevant to labour market needs is a policy priority for the EU.
Europe’s unemployment level, particularly, among young people worryingly high.
Skills, qualifications and employability are central to Europe’s economic recovery.
But the vocational education and training that delivers the skills, qualifications and employability needed faces growing challenges.
How do we combine a highly educated labour force with adequate job creation?
How do we increase participation in a shrinking and ageing labour force?
How can training help address inequality and develop the green economy?
Cedefop European agency devoted to VET is working on these and other questions 9 9

10. Information online or sent to you: ask us
Look for
at cedefop.europa.eu
In addition to the analyses that I have outlined, Cedefop provides other information on training that is available for this committee to use.
Everything is available on our website.
But if there is any information we can provide for you please ask.